Five Key Steps To Cleaning Suede Shoes
How To Clean Suede Boots
Suede boots have been in and out of the fashion spotlight for years, which means its highly likely that they will always have a place in our wardrobes. While suede boots are beautiful to look at, not many people know how to properly care for them.
Cleaning suede can be extremely challenging because if you dont do it right, you can ruin your beloved boots. With the proper tools and techniques and a solid homemade suede cleaner, you can ensure that your beautiful suede boots will last for years.
Protect The Suede With A Spray
Finally, the last step in your cleaning protocol should involve a finishing spray. Think of it like hair spray, or a top-coat for your manicure: Itll protect your hard work, no matter what the days before you may hold.
For a low-cost pick, try Scotchguard Suede Protector. Itll help waterproof your suede and make your shoes impervious to frustrating salt stains. It also dries completely odourless and colourless: You wont have to worry about compromising the look of your shoe to give it a little protection .
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How To Clean Suede Shoes
It may seem like a good idea to spot treat stains on your suede shoes with water. But, it will create more complications for you. Water leaves behind unsightly watermarks on your suede shoes. You do not want to compromise on its appearance after making such an expensiveinvestment. It is, therefore, important to treat the stains on your suede shoes correctly. You must understand the type of stain before taking any corrective action. Follow the stepsgiven below to keep your suede shoes looking like new for longer.
Ingredients to Keep Handy:
e) Water
How To Clean Suede Shoes Without Suede Cleaner
If you dont have any suede cleaner, you can try to clean your shoes using just a suede brush and eraser. However, you may find that stubborn stains need a little extra help. In those cases, try using a small amount of soapy water or, if it is a food or salt stain, white vinegar to clean your entire shoes.
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Get Rid Of Wax And Chewing Gum Stains
If you happen to get chewing gum or wax stuck to your microfiber suede shoes, you can get rid of it by placing your shoe in the freezer. The freezing method works not just on shoes or boots, but it is also an excellent way to remove candle wax from carpet. Just use simple ice cubs and spot-freeze the stain.
The gum or wax will eventually become hard after spending some time in deep freeze giving you the ability to chip away at the larger chunks. Once youve removed most of the stain, you can finish the cleaning by scrubbing the area with your suede brush.
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What Is The Best Thing To Clean Suede Shoes With
Suede consists of soft grain thats best to clean using a special cleaning brush made for suede. Its easy to damage the texture, so make sure you use the proper tools.
A suede cleaning kit is an excellent investment if youve purchased a pair of expensive suede boots or shoes. Scuffs, stains and marks are easiest to remove when acting fast.
Cleaning suede when dry is best. The material is sensitive to water, so unless your shoe is full of water stains, wait till the suede has dried.
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Treat Stains With Household Products
If you still see a stain, its time to break out the white vinegar or rubbing alcohol! These products wont stain your suede like water will, and will help lift the remainder of the stain from the fabric.
Simply pour one of the solutions onto a white washcloth and dab at the stain. This will help lift the rest of the mess from the fibers. Let it dry and try brushing away the rest of the stain.
How Do You Clean Light
With light colors, its essential to know how to clean suede you. If youre not careful, you could alter its appearance. For small, less stubborn stains, you can easily use a simple cleaning kit with a brush and suede eraser. Follow the same steps as in the first section.
If the blemish persists, try either rubbing alcohol or white vinegar. This is what you do:
Pro-Tip
After cleaning, the texture of your suede shoes can become dull and stringy. To combat this, gently use a razor to remove those longer bits. After this, take your brush to re-fluff the grains.
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Cornstarch To Fight Grease
If you are struggling with a grease stain on your suede shoes, then sprinkle cornstarch directly on the stain to soak up the grease or oil. Let sit for 10 minutes — more if particularly large — and then shake it off.
At Puracy, we understand how important it is to find natural, effective remedies that work hard to get your home, body, babies clean. When youre dealing with a tricky fabric like suede on your favorite pair of shoes, follow the tips and techniques above to keep your precious belongings in good shape, naturally.
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Use Eraser To Clean Suede Shoes
Use an eraser for stubborn the marks. Marks and scuffs that wont brush out can frequently be removed by rubbing with a pencil eraser or a bit of crepe rubber . You can likewise by a special suede eraser intended for just this errand. Apply a moderate amount of pressure and increment as harder marks require.
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Brush Vigorously Using Suede Brush
Lightly brush the stained areas in one direction. Brushing in one direction helps to remove the surface layer of dirt from the fibers.
Once youre done, brush the stains again using a back-and-forth motion. Brush with a little more force too! Youre trying to get to the ground-in dirt thats trapped beneath the surface.
Get Rid Of Recalcitrant Suede Stains With White Vinegar
If there is a particularly stubborn stain that you arent able to remove with the above methods, you can use white vinegar to remove the stain. Similar to when you are cleaning leather shoes, you are using white vinegar as the main ingredient for your stain cleaning recipe.
Apply a modest amount of white vinegar to a soft towel and gently rub the suede. Allow the material to dry, then carefully agitate the area with the suede brush. This method can also be used to remove salt lines that appear on the suede and is an ideal homemade shoe cleaner.
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What Happens When Suede Gets Wet
Theres always been quite a bit of hullabaloo around how getting suede shoes wet is akin to totaling a car. We agree that you want to keep suede dry, but to say that liquid will necessarily ruin your suede shoes is an extreme exaggeration.
So, what should you do if your suede shoes get wet?
To be 100% clear, we do not recommend wearing suede in the rain. Unless pre-treated to be waterproof by the manufacturer, opt for a rain boot or even a leather shoe with a Dainite sole or something that will keep moisture out.
Check The Weather Forecast
Suede shoes have never gallantly declared they could hold up through rain, sleet, or snow because, well, they can’t. Even if you ‘waterproof’ your pair with spray, Miller tells InStyle you should still avoid wearing suede shoes in damp weather conditions and near the beach as “water and harsh salts will stain, damage, and weaken the material over time.”
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How To Clean Suede Leather Shoes
How to clean suede leather shoes. The cleaning method for sued is different from shoes made of other materials. The cleaning of the sued shoes demands attention. Its recommended that you should never use excess water while cleaning sued shoes. Water use affects the skin of sued shoes. Tools for cleaning the sued shoes are a sued brush, sued rubber, a pencil eraser, and a fingernail file. You also need a paper towel, white vinegar, and a cloth towel. A special leather degreaser made for sued is used to clean shoes.
Your shoes can get dirty in several ways either you are walking on the road/ streets or in a park for a walk. The possible factors that can make sued shoes dirty are as follows: mud or dirtiness, oil and grease, gums and wax, and many other.
Just To Make Things Clear: What Exactly Is Suede
Technically, suede is defined as a napped velvety-textured leather crafted from the underside of an animals skin. To get very biological about it, we are talking about the animals dermis the softer, more delicate underskin as opposed to the tougher epidermis, which is used for conventional leather. It is also ovine in nature: most commercial suede is prepared from the underskins of goats and sheep, as opposed to cow, buffalo, or even deerskin.
Because of its delicate nature, suede was originally used in glove-making. Sweden became so well-known for the exceptional quality of its gloves , that the French translation of the countrys name would become the general term for the material. Over the years, the use of suede has gone beyond glove-making. It has also evolved into the creation of cold-weather clothing like cloaks, coats, jackets, and shoes.
While the materials soft and velvety texture is appealing, its also the reason why suede shoes are a challenge to clean. Its open-pored surface makes it vulnerable to scuffing and smudging. Suedes porous texture also means it can absorb liquids rapidly if it gets wet which can cause permanent staining and deterioration. That said, many commercial shoe manufacturers finish their products with waterproof coatings to prevent water damage but, without proper care, this can only go so far as to keep ones suede shoes in good condition. Is there, at any rate, a right way as to how to clean suede shoes?
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How To Clean Suede Shoes Tips
- Before cleaning your suede shoes, remove the laces and insert a shoe tree or scrunched paper to help them hold their shape.
- Invest in sued-specific products, including a protector, cleaner .
- Use a soft brush to remove any loose dirt or dried mud.
- Lightly scrub your shoes with a brush and cleaner to remove stains and stubborn marks.
- After allowing your shoes to dry, you can make them feel soft once again by gently dry-brushing or using mink oil.
Dry Brush Them Regularly
In addition to spray, Miller recommends also investing in a suede dry brush with fine, natural bristles made of horsehair for regular maintenance and stain removal.
“Try using a suede eraser first by applying moderate pressure and gently rubbing back and forth,” she says. “Follow with your brush to remove any residue and restore the suede’s pile.”
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Protect Your Boots With A Suede Protector
After youve spent the time to thoroughly clean your suede boots, you should consider protecting them with a commercial suede protector to provide extra protection from staining.
Before applying a suede protector, make sure that your boots are completely clean and thoroughly dry. Spray an even amount of the protector on your boots and allow them to dry completely before wearing again.
Apply Suede Protectant Spray
The final step is to protect your suede so it wont get quite as dirty in the future. You can find suede protectant sprays online, and a lot of them are fairly inexpensive. Apply your suede protectant spray according to the package directions. Not only will this extra step keep your suede cleaner for longer, it will also make it easier to clean in the future!
This process should help you remove most kinds of stains on suede items. But just in case you end up with a tricker stain, here are some additional tips that may help!
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How To Clean Faux Suede Shoes
One of the benefits of faux suede is that its more stain-resistant and durable than traditional suede. As such, its easier to care for but does still require maintenance, regular cleaning, and the removal of marks. You can clean your faux suede shoes by brushing away excess dirt before wiping them with a mixture of water and vinegar. Then, stuff them with paper and allow to dry before brushing to restore softness.
Why Do People Like Suede Shoes So Much
You can do anything, but dont step on my blue suede shoes is one of the most iconic lines from the early years of the rock-and-roll era. Elvis Presley slyly cautioned an unseen friend not to step on or even scuff his favorite footwear.
While it does sound ridiculous to the modern ear, those passionate about suede goods especially suede shoes know precisely how the King feels about his blue suede kicks. Why not, indeed? Suede shoes are incredibly comfortable, durable, and can easily take a casual outfit up a notch or soften the effect of a severe, more formal look.
Likewise, their unisex appeal has made them great favorites among both men and women. Women appreciate the velvety texture of suede for its softness and how it adds a sophisticated nuance to even the most outdoorsy outfits. On the other hand, men like the rugged, rustic look of suede boots: classic masculine style for city and country living.
However, if there is just one thing that people dont like about suede shoes, they think that they are a pain in the backside to clean. This isnt exactly true: suede may not be the most comfortable material to clean, but keeping your kicks as neat and fresh-looking as the day you bought them is not as complicated as you think.
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Apply Baking Soda For Smells
Just like any shoes, suede shoes can get quite stinky. Since suede can be such a temperamental fabric, put aside the smell removers from the grocery store and grab a simple carton of baking soda. Sprinkle inside the shoes, let it sit overnight, and then shake out when the morning comes. Any bad smell and scent will be absorbed by the baking soda, and your shoes will be fresh in the time it takes to come back from dreamland.
Caring For Suede Shoes
While you may be tempted to use products meant for leather on suede, that could cost you a pair of your favorite shoes. “You should never use any shoe creams, conditioners, polishes, or oils on suede,” Pinkos tells us. You also want to avoid getting them wet because not only will it stain the finish, but it will also cause your shoes to stretch and leave wear marks. To ensure that your suede shoes maintain their shape, it is recommended to use wooden shoe trees. This will also help to smooth out the wrinkles that occur from regular wear.
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